We Got a Prayer in Memphis

They’ve got catfish on the table
They’ve got gospel in the air
And Reverend Green will be glad to see you
When you haven’t got a prayer
But boy you’ve got a prayer in Memphis

–From Marc Cohn’s Walking in Memphis

It’s official. We knew all along we loved Memphis–and now we know, Memphis loves us back.

Last night the Stone Awards put a ring on it by giving us the Stone Award for Memphis’ Most Outstanding Recording Group. We were in extremely fine company, too, for last night celebrated the 15th year of the Stone Awards with a tribute to Art Gilliam. Mr. Gilliam is a remarkable man whose dynamic career in the communications industry has given the gift of self expression and voice to black Memphians as well as to white Memphians–for communication is about more than just talking –it is listening, too. He has made Memphis a better city.

Others who were recognized included the Memphis Flyer (hooray for our fans and friends over there– Jeffrey G., Contemporary Media’s associate publisher and Bianca, a fine writer and a reader of this blog who writes a great blog about healthy food at http://vegancrunk.blogspot.com/ ), Le Bonheur, Ephraim Urevbu, Billy Rivers and the Angelic Voices of Faith, Reverend Ralph White, and the Bar-Kays–as well as a surprise honor for Stanley Campbell, founder of the Stone Awards and owner of the House of Mtenzi. http://stoneawards.org/

Jay, founder of DeltaCappella and Stanley, founder of the Stone Awards

It’s a great event, with everyone sitting in the same boat and rowing together towards a better and happier Memphis. It is an evening to enumerate blessings, to be glad, and to be thankful.

Last night I discovered euphoria is a wonderful appetite suppressant!

It was just the sort of festive evening that might have encouraged me in the past to jump the curb in terms of eating sensibly, but I didn’t.